National Assembly-Civil Society’s Joint Declaration for the 1st Global Day of Action on Military Spending

[Joint Declaration]

National Assembly-Civil Society’s Joint Declaration for the 1st Global
Day of Action on Military Spending

” Use the Tax for Welfare, not Warfare
“

As we celebrate the Global Day of Action on Military Spending, we are
here to concern ever-increasing military spending and following challenges
challenge and menace to our peace. We need to focus on the fact that the sum of
global military spending in 2010 marked 1.6 trillion dollars, which is an
increase of about 150% compared to that of 2000; the trend does not seem to be
discontinued even in the global economic crisis.

30 countries are raising their voices for military spending reduction. The
reason is in that 
the huge military spending does not guarantee world peace
and security but only brings ceaseless military tension and accelerates arms
race. Arms race in Northeastern Asia is a typical example on the phenomenon. The
sum of military spending  by the U.S., China, Russia, Japan and South Korea
reached about 889.4 billion dollars in 2009, which holds 58% of the total
military spending worldwide. South Korea’s military expenditure has been doubly
increased in 2009 compared with 2000. Though each country increases military
budget drastically, peace on the Korean Peninsular and Northeastern Asia is in a
very distant future. Present situation we are currently facing proves that
enormous amount of military spending and multitudinous weapons do not assure
peace.

We deeply concern that considerable numbers of matters critical for human
lives are ignored and pushed back on the priority list of budget expenditure,
while military spending is always overspent. Global warming, poverty,
unemployment, education, housing, disease and energy policies relying on nuclear
power are highly urgent tasks not only for South Korea, but the whole world. An
analysis shows that even only 20% of the global military spending can achieve
the Millenum Development Goals(MDG) that the United Nations has set to eradicate
global poverty. Therefore, it is the right time to ask what is the most urgent
threat of our lives.

We believe that each country should break out of vicious circle of endless
arms race. We also believe that even many issues “military readiness” can be
solved peacefully through extended mutual respect and trust, and a tight control
and reduction in military spending. A huge amount of military spending can be
cut by strict verification and effective execution of budget. We emphasize that
reduced budget should be used for prioritized issues for people’s lives.

On the Gloal Day of Action on Military Spending , MPs and civic groups in
Korea promise to take a leading role in alleviating military tension and
confrontation in the Northeastern region of Asia and in establishing a community
of permanent peace and coexistence
and suggest as below:

1. We reasonably secure welfare resources through freezing and reducing
military budget. Building mutual trust among countries and reconsidering the
validity, transparency and efficiency of military spending will make a
considerable amount of fund should be used to relieve many social threats people
are facing in their lives.

We are concerned about the fact that major countries in Northeast Asia
including South Korea are seeking to foster their war. It is an exaggeration
that war industry could benefit the development of civilian technologies. It is
war industry that mounts military tension and conflicts at home and abroad and
destroys the foundation of peaceful life. Each government should reconsider
their policies involved with the investment in war industry, and restrain
themselves from promoting weapons which may lead to conflicts. From this aspect,
South Korea, which is the world’s second largest arms importer along with China,
must reconsider its current policy that it would develop arms industry as the
growth engines to become the world’s 7th largest arms exporter. Instead, we are
calling upon your government to join the Convention on Cluster Munition and Mine
Ban Treaty that regulate inhumane arms.

1. We insist that the Korean Peninsular be denuclearized  without relying
on nuclear deterrent. lethal nuclear threat is bound to occur from the defense
policies dependent on nuclear deterrent such as North’s nuclear weapons the U.S.
nuclear umbrella over South Korea and Japan. Treaty banning nuclear weapons
should be concluded at the earliest possible moment as the U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon suggested. We urge every related country to
quickly reopen six-party talks on the denuclearization in Northeast Asia.  Also,
we call on each nation in Northeastern Asia to start a discussion about the
denuclearization of Northeastern Asia to remove nuclear threat from the region
as a comprehensive measure.

1. We are worried that continuous arms race, military alliances and
aggressive military schemes have been becoming permanent while Northeast Asia
being the world’s biggest arsenal. Arms race has not brought peace in the region
and only justified military motivations to possess asymmetrical deterrent such
as nuclear weapons and missiles. Therefore, we urge peaceful and multilateral
efforts to reduce the threats out of conventional arms and alleviate military
imbalance along with a discussion on denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsular.

1. We are concerned that the expansion of military security education by
the government and the army to inject old distorted sense of security. We firmly
believe our children need peace education that reflects the values of democracy
such as human rights, peace, diversity and tolerance, not the one internalizing
confrontation, hostility, militarism, and nationalism. Therefore, one-sided
propaganda in the form of education by the government and quasi-military
trainings in the name of military experience should be immediately stopped.

1. We do not think the government is the only one that should try to
alleviate military tension and confrontation and secure peace and coexistence.
As the ultimate goal of military and security policy is to guarantee people live
safely, civil engagement is both desirable and essential in the prioritization.
We urge to improve systems of all countries including South Korea for the public
disclosure and the civil engagement of the policymaking procedures on military
security.